LOST IN THE BUSH.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 319, 23 March 1878, Page 10

LOST IN THE BUSH.

A correspondent at Darlington writes as follows to the Albury Banner: —“On Wednesday, the 20th ultimo, our quiet neighborhood was thrown into a state of considerable excitement by the announcement that a little boy, only fifteen months old, the son of Mr. Schneider, a selector on Argoon, was lost in the bush. The youngster, it seems, had been playing with two elder children in front of the house. After a time the elder ones got playing by themselves, without thinking to keep an eye on the boy, who, it seems, took it into his head to set off on a tour of exploration on his own account. At all events, when the child was missed no trace of him could be found in the neighborhood of the house, which is surrounded by thickly-timbered country. On the loss being discovered, the father of the child and his two elder brothers were immediately summoned from their work, and an active search was instituted, which was carried on throughout the night by moonlight,but without any result. Next morning the alarm was given in the neighborhood, and the appeal for aid in the search was heartily responded to from all quarters, everyone eager to do his best to restore the little one to his distracted parents. Luckily the services of the large search party which was promptly organised proved unnecessary. Some of the neighbors living nearest to the house started off in advance of the main body and scoured the bush, in hopes to find some trace or clue for the guidance of the rest. After a while they succeeded in finding the tracks of the child in the soft mud along the border of a box swamp filled with water by the late rains. This discovery lent, of course, a great impetus to the exertions of the party, and the swamp was diligently searched, but without result. There appeared, however, reason to believe that the child had made over the hard ground for another swamp which was in view, and on carrying the search in that direction, sure enough the little one was found by Mr. Theodore Kook, crying bitterly, and sticking fast in the mud. The child had lost one of his boots ; his head was uncovered, his hood hang-

ing on his neck, and his head was all over mud, caused most likely by his trying to drink, and falling down in the attempt. The youngster, when first discovered, was in a truly pitiable plight, and would most likely have been unable to extricate himself from his perilous position. Cramped bslow, and scorched by the sun above, it is scarcely probable he could have survived another night. Moreover, if the tracks had not been providentially hit upon as described, it is quite likely the main search party would not have extended their exam'nation in a complete circle to this place in time to be of any use, as the spot where the child was found is fully three miles from the house. When discovered the little one was soon placed on lxox-se-back, and seemed quite contented till he saw his mother, when a fit of crying, half joyful, half plaintive, relieved his pent-up feelings. How a child so young could travel such a distance is truly wonderful, particularly as he must have passed through water up to the waist on the first day of his wanderings.